Rear axle for motor vehicles constituting a driving and change-speed unit



Aug. 26 1924. 1,566,333 G. P. BONNEVIE REAR AXLE FOR MOTOR VEHICLESCONSTITUTING A DRIVING AND CHANGE SPEED UNlT Filed Aug. '7. 1920Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES vPATENT GFFICE.

GERMAIN PIERRE BONNEVIE, OF RIVE-DE-GIER, FRANCE.

REAR AXLE FO'R MOTOR VEHICLES CONSTITUTING A DRIVING AND CHANGE-SPEEDUNIT.

Application filed August 7, 1920.

To all 'LU/wm t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, GERMAIN PIERRE BONNEVIE, a citizen of the FrenchRepublic, resident of 14 Faubourg dEgarande, RivedeGier, Loire, France,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rear Axles forMotor Vehicles Constituting a Driving and Change-Speed Unit, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved transmission mechanism fortransmitting motion from an engine shaft to the wheels of a motorvehicle.

The primary object of the invention is to furnish a transmissionmechanism of simpler and more compact form than those now in use and toso construct the same that the motor, the change speed mechanism, theclutch and the differential will form a single unit.

The advantage of such a mechanism and arrangement is obvious as itreduces the weight and eliminates parts heretofore believed essentialand the arrangement of the mechanism permits accurate alignment of theshafts.

l/Vith the foregoing object outlined and with other objects in viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds the invention consists inthe novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a rear axle assemblageaccording to this invention as viewed from above and with certain partsbroken away for the purpose of clearness. Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a vert-ical sectional view on th line 3-3 of Figure 1.

At the outset it may be stated that the motor, the change-speedmechanism, the clutch and the dierential mechanism are all arranged atthe rear part of the vehicle and form a rear axle assemblage.y

In the drawing, 1 designates a casing which includes the motor crankchamber la, the change-speed chamber 1b and the differential mechanismchamber 1C. The casinfr 1, as best shown in Figure 3, is provi ed with asplit collar 2, the ears of which are clamped by a bolt 3 to one of theSerial No. 401,992.

horizontal members 4 of thel vehicle chassis to which the mechanism isapplied. 5 designates the drive shaft which forms an extension of thecrank shaft 5fL of the engine (not shown), and this shaft 5 has one ofits ends journaled in a bearing 5b forming part of the casing 1. Theopposite end of the shaft 5 has keyed thereto a bearing block 8 havingperipheral teeth 7 which yengage internal notches 7a formed in the hubof a driving clutch member 6. rIhe hub of the clutch member is adaptedto slide on the block 8 but cannot rotate relatively to said block owingto the cooperating teeth 7 and notches 7a.

The hub is provided with an extension o-r cap 9 having an apertured end9a in which `is slidably mounted a plunger 10 which'is keyed to a spool1()a adapted to be engaged by the fork of an operating lever (notshown). The plunger 10 slides in a collar 10b provided with a peripheralflange 10c, and a thrust bearing 13 is arranged between this flange andthe head of the cap 9. The

plunger 10 is pro-vided at itsrear end with a head 12, and a coil spring11 is arranged between the sleeve 10b and said head and normally tendsto hold the plunger 10 in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Asleeve 19 is loosely mounted on the shaft 5 and carries a thrust bearing18. A ring 17 bears against one of the rings of the thrust bearing 18and is connected to screws or bolts 14 which pass through apertures inthe clutch member 6. The outer ends of the screws 14 are provided withheads 16, and coil springs 15 are arranged between these heads and theclutch member 6 iand function to yieldingly force the clutch member 6towards a driven clutch member 21. The clutch member 21 is fixed to thesleeve 19 by means of a pin 21a, and a ball bearing 22 is arrangedbetween the hub of the clutch member 21 and an end 1d of the casing 1 inorder to form a journal for the outer end of the shaft 5. This bearing22 in practice is of such construction that it will prevent axialmovement of the sleeve 19. It will thus be seen that the springs 15normally tend to hold the clutch member 6 in engagement with the clutchmember 21 so that movement of the shaft 5 will bedirectly transmitted tothe sleeve 19. When the lever (not shown) connected with the spool 10ais actuated to move the spool outllO -also-l provided with lalvvlaysinengagement with-theteeth released, the springs 15 will automaticallyforce theclut'ch member 6 toward the member 21. The sleeve 19-carriesafixed gear 20 and it isprovided at its innerend-with clutch teeth v23.`A sliding collar 24 lis mountedon the-'shaft 5 and carriesf'fixed gears26 and 27, and one end ofthe col-lar 24 is provided with clutch teeth 25which aredesigned to be moved into enga-gement withthe teeth 23 whenit-is'desired that d-irect move-ment of the sleeve 19jbe-trans `mittedto the sleeve 24. The sleeve'24is gear teeth 23y which are of a. maindifferential gear 44.

Mounted in the chamber '1b directly beend with a recess to.- receive ananti-friction bearing 33 carried by a stub shaft 34 supported by the end1d. of the casing 1. yAs

the collarr30 is fixed to theshaft Y29, the bearing 33 will actas asupport for oneend vof the yshaft y29,y while-the other end ofthe shaftisv supported in |a'bearing 35 carried .by

the casingl. The gea-r 31` isin const-ant mesh with the teethfoftheggear 20aso= that the gear 31, collar "30 and gear V-32will be drivenwhenever the gear' 2O is rotated. The shaft 29 is provided withlongitudinally disposed peripheral teeth-29a which, engagesimilar-recesses formed internally in a gear i36'which is slidablymounted on the shaft -29. Whenthe shaft29 is rotated andthe gear 36 isshifted into mesh with the gear 27, a'first speed will beftransmittedtofthe vgear 28 and the Vdifferential Vgear-44. I'A re- -verse gear 237carried a-stuvb shla.ft"37a is in constant mesh with the gear 28, andvwhen the --gear gear 37, the rotationfof'thefgear28 will be reversed.with consequent reversed rotation of the difEerential gear 44. 7Whenthev. collar 24 with its gears'is shiftedtoward theright in Figures 1 an'd-2,'the,gear-26 will be brought into meshwith the gear -32 and asecondvspeeddrive will-thus be pro- `vided for the differential gear144. Theycol- -lar-24 andthe-'gear' 36 are shifted bythe usual fork members 38and 39. Therfor-mer isfixed to a sliding rod-42'whiclrprojects at oneend beyondthe casing 1 and is pro `vided-with a'notch as shown. ITheforkf39 is carried by a swinging lever 40 which is v connected" toasimilar lever-41 arranged on mgy gearsconnected constantly .with thesecthe apertures. ,endsfofthe driving axles 57 whichkdrive .fthewheelsof-the vehicle (not shown).

36 is shifted intomesh withther :the-.exterior of the casing, `and thellast mentioned lever is connected to afrod 43 which ,is also notched asshown in Figure 1. A swinging Vlatch member 43 engages the notches ofthe rods 42 and 43 and couples -the samegtogether when at thedeadkpoint.lThe said latch member 43 is caused to -Ireadily `understood and I willnow describe `the improved differential mechanism. fMounted in the.opposite sides of the casing `of the differential casing '1C areapertured cheek plates .or rings 53 which support antivfrictionbearingsf54 on .which are mounted disks 54a which support apluralityofpinions S51 and52 thatabutwagainst-one an-: y otheryasfshown. in Figure `1. Mounted -betweenthe gear faces. of the pinions51- and 52 is the web 44a of the gear/44, andthis web is--aperturedwonitsv opposite sides to receive lpinions 50 which aremounted low theshaft 5 isa parallel shaft 129. This yshaft carrie-s a'fixed collar 30having gears 31 and 32. The collar y30 is provided at one stub shaftsv49 carried by the web andthe `disksV 54a. The pinions. 50 mesh v.withthe teeth of the pinions: 51 and A52-andform a yplanetary gearing.Eachof the pinions 51 and 52 isprovided with a central aperture 55 ofhexagonal shape, `and hexagonal disks yeries ofthe disks 56 arecurvedvinorderto permit rocking movement of the-.disks .in

These disks are fixed to the .It'fzisfbelieved that the foregoing.yexplanation will .renderv the construction randpperation. of Vthe.improved mechanism readily `apparent tolthoseskilled intheartand I amaware that .various changes .andwmodi- Vications @may vbe made .v in theconstruction illustrated without departing from the `'spirit oftheinvention as expressed inthe .following claims.

lhat I claim and desire to secure -rby Let-ters'Ifatent is: 1. In adrive axle :assemblage-andgear box (a ldrive sha-ft passing. throughsaid box, a first clutch member supported and driven by-one end ofsaidshaft, a secondclutch .member loosely :mounted on :the shaft, a:differential .mechanisnn reducing gearing adapted: to connect thesecond clutch member to said-.differential mechanism,. a clutch elementon 4said reducing gearing,a second clutch element on the secondfclutchmember= :adapted to be engaged by the `first mentioned clutchelementandrforming one of the parts -for driving the dierential.mechanismrdirectly from the shaft, and af train.l of reducond clutchmember and cooperating with the reducing gearing for permitting aplurality of speeds forward when the clutch elements are not in directengagement.

2. In combination, an engine crank shaft provided with an extensionforming a propeller shaft, a clutch member driven by said propellershaft, a driven clutch member mounted on the propeller shaft andcooperating with the first mentioned clutch member, a change-speedmechanism including a plurality of gears fixed together and slidablymounted on the propeller shaft, and a differential mechanism having agear in constant mesh with one of the change speed mechanism gears anddriven by said gear.

3. In combination, a prime mover shaft having an extension forming apropeller shaft, a clutch member driven by the propeller shaft andaxially movable relatively to said propeller shaft, a driven clutchmember loosely mounted on the propeller shaft and cooperating with thefirst mentioned clutch member, a gear rigidly connected to said drivenclutch member, a change speed mechanism including a plurality of gearsfixed together and slidably mounted on the propeller shaft and teethwhich mesh with the first mentioned teeth, and a differential mechanismincluding a gear in constant mesh with one of the change speedmechaanisms and driven by said change speed mechanism.

4. A propelling mechanism for motor vehicles including a propeller shaftconnected at one end to the crank shaft of a prime mover and provided atits opposite end with a clutch mechanism, a change speed mechanismlocated between the ends of the shaft and including a plurality of gearsfixed together and a set of teeth, a set of teeth provided on the clutchmechanism and adapted to engage the first mentioned set of teeth whensaid gears are shifted in one direction, a differential mechanism drivenby the change speed mechanism and including a gear in constant mesh withone of the gears of the change speed mechanism, a gear wheel provided onthe clutch mechanism, a countershaft included in the change speedmechanism and having a large gear wheel and a small gear wheel fixedtogether, the former of which meshes with the gear wheel of the clutchmechanism, a third gear wheel slidably mounted on the countershaft andmounted to rotate with the countershaft, and a reversing gear wheel inconstant mesh with one of the first mentioned gears and adapted to beengaged by the third gear wheel on the countershaft.

5. A mechanism of the kind defined by claim l in which the change speedmechanism and differential mechanism are enclosed within a housingforming an extension of the crank shaft casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GERMAIN PIERRE BONNEVIE.

